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Danielle
Drake
Houston, Texas
oil on canvas
36 by 27 in. |
I think of my portrait sitters as models for a fine art painting,
based on the client's preferences. I believe discussing the
concept of the painting with the client before the first sitting
will lead to greater mutual satisfaction. While you may not
yet be aware of what your preferences are, if you will try
to consider the options I describe, you can make an important
contribution to the painting.
Would you like an indoor or outdoor setting for your portrait?
This decision will affect what clothes should be worn. An
indoor setting is best for evening wear, although a long romantic
tea dress could be worn in a garden setting. Try to choose
a dress that will be of a timeless style and may not be as
contemporary as what you would wear to a social event this
year. Wearing a style that seems vaguely from another period
helps the portrait avoid looking dated in twenty years. Please
remember we are creating a work of art and not a literal reproduction.
I like interesting fabrics that give variety to the brushwork
such as lace, gauze, satin, brocades, or cut velvet. Long
flowing lines and a wide portrait neckline help display the
face as if it were on a pedestal. For a three-quarter length
portrait the hemline should not be above the knees, as it
is awkward to have just knees showing at the bottom of a painting.
Classic outdoor clothes may be riding clothes, or nostalgic-looking
day dresses for women, and traditional tweeds such as hacking
jackets for men. If possible, I would like a snapshot or polaroid
of the dress you choose (before I come for the photo session)
so I will be prepared with a compositional plan and pose ahead
of time.
Do you have a preference for light colors or darker, rich
colors? The clothes you choose will direct which way the whole
painting will go. Consider which paintings of mine or other
artists you like best. Are they light and impressionistic
in color or more traditional, warmer, and deeper in color?
What are the colors of the room where the painting will hang?
While black is a popular color for social events, for a portrait,
I would recommend it only for people with strikingly light
or dark hair. I can change a dress color from the actual color,
such as painting a black dress to look dark green or purple,
or a pale peach dress to look light green or lavender. So
choose your dress more according to style than to color, and
let me know if you have a favorite color.
Remember, however, that the clothes worn at the time of the
sitting will be what appears in the portrait, so please give
thought to this ahead of time. If you would like flowers in
your painting, it would be helpful to order an arrangement
of your favorite flowers to be available at the photo shooting.
I recommend that during the photo session there be no additional
audience in the room which can make the sitter self-conscious
and distracted from the mood which I hope to coach in the
sitter's expression.
Please measure the size limitation of the space where the
painting will hang, and consider what approximate size you
would like the painting to be, allowing that a frame may add
ten inches to the height and width. When we arrange travel
plans for the photo sitting, we can discuss on the phone your
ideas in regard to the options in this letter.
I look forward to working with you.
—Geoffrey Geary
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